Auld Lang Syne
by TheMockTurtle
Summary: James kidnaps Lily for a night out in Muggle London, but it's not just any regular night that compels her to accept his invitation. It's New Year's Eve of 1977, what could James possibly be up to? For Secret Santa Fanfiction Exchange. Marauders appear also.


_Saturday December 31__st__, 1977_

**10:00 PM**

**Lily Evans had never been much for celebrating the holidays.** Well, Lily Evans was never much for celebrating the holidays with Petunia around. Petunia was absolute anal about everything that required her handiwork. From napkin holders to polishing the special silverware, you could count on Petunia to ruin the mood of the holidays. Lily had tried— she really did try to stay out of Petunia's way, even as she bustled to decorate the Christmas tree by herself. Lily hadn't complained as she stepped through the Evans' door frame from the car ride from King's Cross and saw Petunia fluffing the artificial pine tree branches. Her stomach had turned over and she found herself feeling rather out casted, it was what she usually looked forward to when she got home to her family every Christmas. It made Lily feel like an Evans again after being so far away for so long. When Mrs. Evans called out who wanted to help with the eggnog Petunia had hurriedly brushed past her at the kitchen's entrance and took over the job completely.

Lily wrinkled her nose at the lack of egg and sugar used that rendered the eggnog eggless. Petunia claimed that it wasn't healthy and was only looking out for Mr. Evans' cholesterol level. So, it was no surprise that at 11:00 PM on Christmas Night Lily had once again looked like the bad guy among her family as they sat around the dinner table with the entrees that, of course, Petunia had cooked herself.

"You should be more considerate, Lily." Mrs. Evans said with a soft look of concern on her face after watching Petunia's small hurrying figure exit the dining room. Lily sat with balled fists at the table, her cheeks red with frustration and embarrassment at her previous lash out. She took a steadying breath and met eyes with her mother who sighed defeated, her expression glazed over with uncertainty. Lily was sure that Mrs. Evans by now was running out of ways to explain it to her.

"You're never here, Lily."

"You should take your sister's feelings into account."

"Don't you understand that when you're gone, she's here alone?"

"I know she's difficult, Lily dear, but so are you."

"You're not making the situation easier." Followed by Mr. Evans clearing his throat disapprovingly.

It was the same tune every summer and Christmas holiday and quite frankly Lily was growing tired of the song. So, when Lily found herself saying, "So, _what_?" at the table after Petunia finished digressing how she put the meal together herself, that she had been finding recipes since November thinking about if it should be turkey or ham then deciding on both to "take on the challenge" Lily had had enough and practically slammed her champagne glass that Petunia took so much delicate time polishing down.

Lily groaned just remembering the look on Petunia's face as she had done so, but felt even worse by the argument that followed. They had started the same route their arguments always took:

"You're never here!"

"So, what?"

"_So_, you don't have a say."

"Of course I do! I'm still part of the family!"

"Hardly!"

"You don't decide if I'm a part of the family or not."

"Well, sometimes I wish I could!"

"Well, then that's just too ruddy bad for you!"

"You don't know anything!"

"Oh, so because I'm not always here, _because of my education_, I don't know things like mum's new job or dad's health?"

"No, you don't!"

"Yes, I do!"

"Then why haven't you congratulated me!?"

"On _what_ the ruddy tree, the eggless eggnog, or your dry dinner?! Oh! I know, on being a _brat_?"

"I'm engaged, you ungrateful little duffer!"

"You're _WHAT_?!"

Lily clenched her eyes tight as she tried to forget the awful comments she had made about Vernon. Mr. and Mrs. Evans sat quietly after the whirl wind that occurred at their table that night, they shared the same knowing look sighing deeply. Lily hadn't apologized and in a rage refused repeatedly having finally being sent up to her room for the remainder of the holiday. Mr. Evans was firm with her and told her she was not allowed out to see any of her friends until she was to return to Hogwarts, unless she apologized. This was fine by her seeing as all her friends were on Holiday anyway.

She had been downstairs briefly for their New Year's Eve dinner, but excused herself after only eating a mound of mash potatoes. Lily had refused to make eye contact with Petunia, even if it was on her way to take a shower or over breakfast. The tension was thick and worse than it had been in years. Lily sat in her gold dinner dress she had pulled on with much effort, she knew if she had shown up for New Year's Eve dinner in her jeans it would have made the situation worse. She felt ridiculous sitting at her desk, in the poor lighting of her desk lamp, with her _Advanced Potion Making_ plopped open in front of her—so this is how she was going to be ringing in the New Year?

Her sister upset, her parents (which she rarely saw) disappointed and stressed, and her— overly dressed in her room stuck with her homework. Lily frowned and leaned back against her chair, wrinkling the skirt of the dress in the process. She checked the ticking clock against her wall that already shone 10:20 PM. Maybe she would just call it a night, maybe she should just curl into a horrible ball of a horrible daughter, sister, and witch that she was and wake up to 1978 and try to be better.

_Maybe._

But in the case of Lily Evans, nothing ever panned out simplistically because once she stood up there was a soft rapping at her window. Lily stiffened at the sound, her back to the origin of the noise while fear coursed through. Was that… from her window? The sound repeated a little harsher this time and Lily instinctively let her eyes flash to her wand sitting at the edge of her desk. Lily swiped for it and spun around but frowned upon seeing her 'attacker'.

Face pressed up against the cold glass with hands cupped around his eyes was James Potter. His glasses were askew on his squished long nose and his trademark broad grin spreading across his features. If Lily hadn't still been in fight or flight mode she might's chuckled at the sight.

James was standing on her small balcony in the chill winter air, broomstick propped against the window just as he was. The cold glass fogged up and faded with every breath he took.

Lily's heart skittered inside her chest. James Potter was standing outside on her balcony, the same James Potter who bickered with her endlessly, who constantly sat in her favorite chair in the common room, who made her blush by being polite on patrols, whose smile (she noticed for some reason) was always lopsided towards the left.

"All right, Evans?" James' voice was muffled caused by the barrier of the window, the same lopsided grin she remembered playfully laying on his lips. He tried to bite back his laughter at the sight of Lily's brandished wand, but found it difficult to due to her baffled expression.

The window fogged up with his chuckles and Lily fought her still hammering heart to slow down. She was now flaring with embarrassment and irritation as the thought continuously registered that James Potter was standing in her balcony and managed to both scare her and humiliate her in one go.

She scowled lowering her wand and moved towards the window, "James Potter," she began in a hushed tone pushing her window open to let the deadly January chill enter her warm safe room. In one swift movement she tugged James inside by the front of his coat and he stumbled onto her carpet with his broomstick following right behind.

"Oi!"

"Shh!" Lily hissed closing the window and wrapping her arms around herself from the chill that had entered. Shocked and annoyed she stared up at him as he dusted himself from the tiniest bits of wet snow that lingered on the front of his jacket onto her carpet. He finally turned up to look at her scowling face.

Regardless of the poor lighting of her bedroom, Lily's eyes could make out the redness of his cheeks and nose, his dark hair slightly dampened and windswept. The familiar jumping sensation in her stomach returned but didn't last long once James smugly smiled.

"What are you doing here?" Lily asked, her voice hissing. She took a step back to the window and craned her neck to inspect if any of the neighbors had spotted James. She was hopeful that by now everyone was too drunk to notice.

James continued to smile broadly, the kind of smile that would irritate Lily during their rounds when he'd say something cunning and she'd feel the heat rise to her face in frustration.

She snapped herself out of her miniscule musing and narrowed her eyes. Aside from the evident former question, the most prominent in her mind tumbled out of her lips, "Wait, how did you know where I live?"

His expression did not falter but his gaze snapped back from eyeing her room, "You told me." James said with such ease that made the hairs of Lily's arms rise along with realizing how exposed she was baring her private room to him. He reached over to his resting his broomstick on her carpet and propped against her desk behind him. Lily eyed him shocked her mouth opened and closed a few times, unable to produce the words her mind was jarring to find.

"That's not a nice look on you, Evans." James chuckled and moved around to inspect the contents of her desk.

"_When_?" Lily followed him, swatting his hands away as they moved to pick up her abandoned essay.

James retracted his hand and frowned, he looked up at her with an annoyed expression, "During rounds once. You didn't think I'd weasel the information out of Mary, did you? I'd hope you didn't think I was so desperate." His hazel eyes behind his poorly cleaned glassed flickered around her room once more.

"No." Lily quickly replied and crossed her arms in front of her suddenly very aware of how strange she must look overly dressed in her bedroom, "But I think I'd remember telling you where I live." Her mind racked through several patrols, she remembered snippets of bickering, flashes of his lopsided smiled when he'd murmur something funny, and the occasional brush of their hands when they'd walk at the same pace. The never ending heat engulfed her neck once more as she shifted her weight uncomfortably.

James let out an exasperated sigh and looked back at the window where he came through, "Yeah, I didn't expect you would. Right." He said leaning against her desk and she still stood with her arms still crossed in protest, "You might be wondering why I'm gracing you with my presence."

Lily gave him a pointed look, "What gave me away? My cool and casual demeanor or my hospitality?"

James rolled his eyes looking away from her, "Definitely not your collected attitude with wand at the ready." Then there it was again, the smug grin Lily wish she could wipe off his face.

"It's 10 o'clock and somehow you show up unannounced and _uninvited_, mind you, in my _bedroom_." She said in a whispered hiss looking to her bedroom door, aware more than ever that her parents regardless of having called it an early night might be able to hear her and— Oh dear Merlin, catch her with a boy in her room. She felt a knot of anxiety form in her stomach at the thought.

"Yes, but it's not any other night, _is it_?" James began after finally taking a good look at her in the poor lighting his brow immediately wrinkling to form a perplexed expression, "What are you wearing?" he added quietly the same stupid smile playing on his lips.

If Lily could frown further than she had been, now would be the moment. Not only had James noticed her looking pathetic in her cocktail dress in her bedroom, he reacted the way she wasn't expecting and for some reason that annoyed her. Instead of making an inappropriate comment on her looks, he chose to mock her.

"I had a dinner." She said flatly and smoothed out the wrinkles of her skirt, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable under his gaze.

"That's rather rude." James said his gaze dropping to her desk.

"What is?" Lily asked and watched him toy with the knickknacks on her desk.

"Because, you didn't invite me and although I was not— I was about to invite you out." His gaze was fixed on the lamp now, as if realizing that it was functioning without magic. Lily's eyes darted away from watching his fingers trace the wire connected to the desk lamp.

"Oh, James, I've told you a dozen times—"

James started laughing and rather loudly at that. Lily scrambled to swat him and shushed him quickly.

"Not like _that_, Lily," James snorted a hand rubbing the spot on his upper arm she had hit, "Merlin, and you say _I'm_ full of myself?" he teased and turned back to face her.

Lily looked increasingly annoyed, "Potter, if you came her to patronize or mock me I get enough of that during the school year on your behalf, I'd like to enjoy my Potter-free time if you don't mind."

"Relax, Lily," James said smiling, he adjusted the red scarf around his neck, "I'm here to collect you. I'm not asking."

"What? Collect me? What are you on about, James." Lily wrinkled her brow in confusion and made to sit on her bed, already generally tired from James' random visit, "Are you planning to abduct me?" she rolled her eyes and stretched up to her headboard.

James eyes lingered over the sight of her exposed legs where the dress cut right below the knees, he tore them away suddenly taking in just exactly she looked. He saw her shift uncomfortably under his gaze and cleared his throat, turning fully to lean against the desk. His arms cross in front of him and the lopsided smile reappeared on his face.

"Not exactly."

"Should I be scared?"

"Probably."

"That's never good."

"You'd be a fool not to think so."

Lily let a small smile tug at the corner of her lips and James grinned back.

"So, will you come?" James began making for the window and looked almost impatient, he craned around to look at the sky before turning back to her.

Lily raised an eyebrow, "I thought you weren't asking, you were 'collecting' me?" she shot back cheekily.

"I'm not."

"Then?"

"Oh, semantics, Evans. Will you come yes or no, if not I will be kidnapping you." James said finally as he walked across the room to peer out of her window.

Lily looked taken aback, "You haven't even actually told me where it is you're taking me. You've been all 'vague and mysterious James Potter'!" she said sitting up straighter seeing as he was trying to figure out her window.

James turned to her, "'Vague and mysterious James Potter', eh?"

She rolled her eyes at his chuckling, "Be serious, James."

"Evans, I'm hurt you'd want me to be someone else."

"Sirius-serious jokes were never funny and they still aren't. Now stop avoiding my question."

"Just come along, Evans." James almost sounded defeated as he leaned against the window. The little light that poured in from it illuminated half of him. Dare Lily say it, but James Potter looked handsome with such an exasperated expression on his face.

Lily sighed tearing her eyes away before he noticed, "I can't just leave, my family will notice—and I don't even know where you're taking me!" she added quickly.

"They won't know."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"You just…do?"

"Agrippa's sake… Lily. Trust me."

Lily stared at him conflicted for a moment before looking around her room from her bedroom door to the window where James leaned against looking so ready to leave. Lily thought about the whole holiday, how Petunia's little Christmas tyranny had spoiled majority of her stay back home and how she had been cooped up in her room for the past week. She chewed on her lower lip as she pushed herself to sit on the edge of the bed, her bare feet against the carpet. It was the last day of the year, the last few hours to either make it count or, if even, get in terrible trouble and ruin the end of 1977. She turned up to see James once more, his expression steadfast on her, eyeing her as if any movement could give him an inkling of an answer, and Merlin, did he want and answer from Lily. There was no doubt James Potter stumbled into Lily Evans' room with the same thought in mind: make it count or ruin it all—it didn't matter what the answer or outcome was at least he tried.

"I have to change." Lily sighed defeated as James smiled widely, so wide Lily was sure his face was bound to crack in half (she was afraid she was bound to mimic his expression). A sinking feeling set in her stomach as she began to think if maybe this could be a lot worse than she had in mind.

"You don't." James said reaching over to her and extending a hand to help her stand up from her bed. Lily groaned and accepted it, feeling she made a deal with the devil.

"James, I'm not going out like this. It's probably not even the adequate for wherever you're abducting me to."

"Lily." James began seriously looking down at her making her feel smaller than she already was, "Do you always make such a fuss about everything?"

Lily opened her mouth to counter him, obviously flustered and offended. The heat was rising to her cheeks but before she could object to his statement James had already pulled back and made for her closet.

"Where's your coat? You'll need some boots or comfortable shoes at most." James opened her closet with a tiny _creak_.

Lily leapt forward and shooed him away quickly, "_I'll _get it, thank you very much." She said before shuffling through to find her jacket and James retreated back to her bed. He sat with a soft bounce and Lily found herself blushing at the thought of James Potter sitting in her bed.

She pulled on her coat and took his vague clothing advice to account before turning back to him, her green scarf wrapping around her neck and wiggling her beige knitted cap over her ears.

"Ready." She announced and saw James had made himself very comfortable, stretching across the width of her bed so his head was nearly hanging off the edge.

James jumped up, making almost too much noise but shooting Lily an apologetic look.

"Sorry."

"Right." Lily said, "How exactly are we getting to location '_x'_? I assume there's a location."

"You assume correct." James smirked and pointed for Lily to open the window, "And by apparation."

Lily wrinkled her face as she unlatched her window and felt slightly stupid. What had she been expecting? That they'd shimmy down the gutter and trudge on? But then eyed his broomstick.

"What's your broom for?" Lily said nervously as she felt the breeze sweep in her room again and looked to James who picked up his broom and stuffing it in a corner for safekeeping's.

"Had some time to kill." he made for the window and Lily almost whimpered as she saw him tug his scarf higher up.

Noticing her uneasy demeanor James gave her an encouraging smile.

"Lily, we'll be fine, I promise it's not far from here." He was already leaning over her tiny balustrade, Lily could see the faint snow sticking to his dark short tresses.

James turned around to see Lily's disapproving look and sighed, "Lily, _trust me on this._ I wouldn't be making you do something if I weren't completely certain."

Lily gave in after eyeing him skeptically and accepted his outstretched hand. He brought her closer and she could feel the heat of him as he looped their arms together.  
"Ready, Evans?"

"I hate you, Potter."

**11:10 PM**

Of course, James had lied. By the time they reached the heart of London James was instructing her to keep close to him, and not let go, he didn't want her getting lost.

"I knew you were kidnapping me to murder me." Lily said running a gloved hand through her now tangled red mane from the wind they encountered walking from their apparition location. Her eyes darted up to see James, but he paid her no mind and gestured with his head in the direction they would be moving in.

Lily was unsure but they were somewhere deep in the city of London, she looked around as they pulled out from the deserted urban area she might have recognized in the daylight. They were cutting out of a relatively empty street before coming out and being hit with the yellow hue of the London streetlights at night.

Lily had come to London at night once or twice, and it was embarrassing for any English person to say but she always enjoyed it since she was a child. During the day Lily was sure she would be able to maneuver herself but found it quite different to at night.

The yellow hue of the light tinged everything and everyone, the tiny cobblestones they walked on to the snow that lay on the ground for who knew how many hours. Everything was bathed in the hundreds of yellow hued streetlights. She turned up to see James properly for the first time since his first appearance that night, taking the time out to clearly register that James Potter had actually come into her room and managed to convince her to _sneak out_.

She shook her head and looked down the street, snow was thickening on the cars parked alongside, policemen were ushering people away from limited areas. Once or twice they would pass a group of people cheering, drinking, singing, and no doubt delving in the festivities.

"So, we're in London, what now?" Lily asked as they turned down another street. James seemed to know very well how to maneuver himself through muggle London and this raised dozens of questions in Lily.

James only smiled but kept his eyes set ahead, he was looking for the familiarity to navigate them.

"Now we find Sirius, Remus, and Peter."

"What?" Lily asked wrinkling their brow, "Sirius, Remus, and Peter in muggle London?" she shook her head, "Okay, this is getting stranger and stranger."

"Just come along, Evans." James chuckled and placed a hand on the small of her back egging her to keep walking with him.

They kept walking along long streets that steadily grew more and more populated, there would be cheering with people blowing kazoos in their ears. A rather drunk lady placed a plastic tiara with the shining plastic upright numbers '1978'.

James and Lily laughed escaping her as she proposed James be around for midnight before her chuckling friends excused her taking her away. Arm in arm they continued down the streets until Lily began to recognize London more and more.

They had passed Trafalgar Square where hundreds and thousands of people were gathering, it was nearly impossible for Lily and James to pass through the crowd in peace. If people weren't jumping around they would have to wiggle through tight spaces, eventually causing Lily and James to walk through hand in hand, clasping each other's own tightly so as to not lose each other.

"Why are we still walking? It seems like Trafalgar Square was the place to be!" Lily said over the crowd and music they were leaving behind. It seemed to Lily it was obvious now that James had just wanted to take her out on New Year's Eve, so why was he avoiding a convenient location?

James only shook his head, "Trust me, it's too crowded there, there's a better place."

And James was right, not as populated as Trafalgar Square, they had walked around so they had come to what Lily recognized as Hungerford Bridge. People were making their way to and fro chanting and chattering merrily as they old year was fading. Lily could start to see the view of both the House of Commons and Big Ben in the distance. People weren't as densely packed as the square but regardless there was a function going on. They had come a long way until they finally crossed into the skirts of Lambeth Gardens.

She realized they had reached their destination as James stopped. Lily looked up at him and he turned to smile broadly at her gesturing forward with his head.

Lily had been so caught up in keeping pace with James she hadn't noticed where exactly she had stopped. It was awe inducing the sight at night, the large House Commons stretched on and on bathed in the same yellow hue they had been covered their whole trip around London, the Big Ben's clock face shone brightly the time daunting to every spectator: **Quarter to Twelve**

Lily took a sharp intake of breath, Big Ben lit up at night and it was a shame to every English person that never truly experienced it as she had. It was clear now what James Potter had in mind as he staggered into her room uninvited on New Year's Eve. Her eyes hungrily searched the view in front of her the icy air finally settling in her after a warming long walk. She hadn't noticed she was smiling as hard as she was, but there was always something about Big Ben at night that made Lily feel unusually patriotic and in awe.

"Brilliant, isn't it?" James had leaned in to her ear so she could hear him over the crowd and music. He had let go of her hand by now and Lily turned back and smiled at him. He stared down at her with a look of hope mingled with anxiety etching his, Lily had grown to admit, handsome face. James' hazel eyes were darting around her face expectantly waiting for any word to emit her, landing on her smile and consoling him every so often that it had been a good idea and she wasn't ready to hex him for wasting her time.

"I think I know why you kidnapped me." She was smiling so hard and the warm sensation of the color of the night's streetlights had begun influencing her. She had tiptoed to reach close enough to his ear so he could hear her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw from James' profile a generous smile spread across his face. Lily couldn't help herself but being so close she leaned in fully to wrap her arms around him in a glee filled hug; in the process inhaling great amount of James' scent: spices and wet snow from his previous flight. Regardless it made Lily's heart skittering she pulled away.

"That was awfully kind." James said with a hand in his hair.

Before Lily could reply she felt a large weight fall on her shoulders and she gaped craning her neck to the source.

"Evans! Fancy seeing you here!" the faintest smell of alcohol reached Lily's nose and she wrinkled it instinctively. Sirius Black had draped his arm over her shoulders, a bottle of brown color liquid sloshing in the hand at her shoulder.

"Sirius…?"

"Excuse him," came another voice at her empty side, it was Remus dusting off snow from his grey knitted cap, "He's managed to knick the bottle away from Peter over here in hopes of stopping him… now I'm stuck with the both of them." Remus gestured with his head to his side where a red face smiling Peter looked onto them with a glazed expression.

Lily suppressed a giggle but heard James laughing from where he stood.

"Well…" Lily began and turned to Sirius once more who unwrapped his arm to take another swing, "was this your master plan?"

"My…" Sirius look like he was about to retort but then his brow wrinkled, "…What?"

Lily looked around to all of them, Remus was attempting to steady Peter and Sirius was now handing the bottle to James who held up his palm in rejection.

"To bring me out here, whose plan was it to kidnap me out of my warm safe bed and bring me out in the midst of crazed muggle London?" Lily's eyes flickered between the boys and locked briefly with James before looking to Remus who might give her a sober answer.

The latter shrugged as Peter leaned his full weight against him, he winced briefly.

"We're just as surprised as you are, Lily." Remus answered.

"Yeah," Sirius said, "We do this every year for the past…..?"

"Five." Remus chimed in with a roll of his eyes.

"Right. Five. Five years." Sirius managed to slur but shook himself a bit noticing just how intoxicated he was becoming and frowned at the bottle in his hands.

Lily furrowed her brow and looked back to James in the small private circle they had formed; he had been quiet during the exchange and seemed to now be avoiding her eye. He was once again rejecting the bottle Sirius was thrusting in his direction.

"And apparently," said Sirius, "You've killed the fun out of James. Come _on_, Prongs. ONE sip! We've got…ten minutes!"

Peter suddenly jerked upright at Sirius' outcry, "Ten minutes!" he repeated loudly which sent a chain of drunken "ten minutes!" around the large crowd.

She was staring at James now and let a small smile creep her face. So, it had been completely James' idea from the beginning, and none of his friends had taken part nor known of her invite to join them.

"Every year, huh?" Lily asked, a smirk now toying on the corner of her mouth. James refused to make eye contact as once again he shoved the bottle back towards Sirius.

"Oh yeah," Remus chuckled tearing his wide eyes that had been also eyeing the Big Ben's clock face, "all Sirius' idea of course. Gave us all a right fright the first few times he appeared at our windows—of course this was before we could apparate, so we'd have to sneak out and in by broom."

"Oh, don't let me stop your fun." Lily shook her head and took the bottle from Sirius and handed it to James. Finally, his hazel eyes turned to her and the attention he suddenly was paying to her sent the heat around her body finally reaching her cheeks. She shoved it into his chest before his bare hand came up over hers and took the bottle—not once breaking eye contact.

"Ata boy!" Sirius cheered.

James kept his eyes locked onto her and took one full swing of the half empty bottle. She watched him swallow and felt her heart thudding in her ears, she felt the goosebumps grazing the soft layer of skin on her arms; there was something absolutely attractive about James taking the bottle so confidently in his mouth and not wrinkling his face as everyone would in their first mouth full of liquor.

"Now, you, Red!" Sirius grabbed the bottle from James and motioned for Lily to follow suit as they all apparently had.

Lily broke eye contact with James and looked down to the bottle of liquor that swished violently and stirred temptingly inside its container. She brought her gaze up to James to Sirius to Remus and back to James who frowned and shook his head.

"Lily, you don't have to. Sirius—" but Lily cut him off by taking one full mouthful of the burning, horrible liquid.

She almost sputtered it all out if she hadn't been too ashamed of making a fool of herself. Lily swallowed it and coughed harshly, pounding on her chest, eyes stinging with tears that were probably bright and brimming with tears.

"What…" Lily choked with a squeaking voice, "What _is_ that?" and suddenly felt completely puzzled and mildly respectful as to how James had not flinched not even once—even Sirius winced every so often.

Peter and Sirius were laughing loudly and leaning on each other. Lily turned the bottle around to see the fraying label that boldly read '**Firewhiskey**'

James was smiling, biting back his chuckles as he watched her jab the bottle back into Sirius' bouncing chest.

Lily rolled her eyes but allowed herself to smile. James was now trying to calm the two of them down, the same wide lopsided smile Lily was growing (scarily) fonder and fonder of. She'd find her thoughts drifting during Prefect meetings, staring at him as he addressed the Prefects, smile gleaming on his face as he incited a joke among everyone and finding that she too had been smiling along. Not just to his silly pun or anecdote but the sheer sight of his smile.

"Five minutes!" Peter randomly cried pointing at the face of Big Ben again which sent a loud drunken cheer around them. The snow continued to fall, lighter than before but still the chill remained among many less or so among the small private circle that included Lily—Firewhiskey warming their bloodstreams as they chattered and joked as they awaited the dismissal of the old year. Sirius was trying to convince Peter to kiss a red nosed blonde behind him who seemed to be slurring her words into her friends shoulder and giggling every so often. Peter looked determined which sent Lily and James into fit of laughter as he stared at the bright face of Big Ben. Lily would catch James' eye every so often and an unnerving feeling was rising in her stomach.

Lily was in midsentence discussing how impressed she had been that they were able to maneuver themselves in muggle London every year and she could hardly recognize Hungerford Bridge at night when Peter yelled:

"TEN!" and the crowd followed his suit, cameras were held in the air for what reason Lily was unsure of. James and Lily turned to face Big Ben and Peter was right.

"NINE!"

Sirius was jumping on Remus' shoulders now, ecstatic and bellowing with the crowd, his dark locks of hair falling lazily with every motion. Remus was laughing loudly but trying to calm him down to no avail.

Lily looked around and saw James watching the clock eagerly his eyes as well his bare cold hands clapping enthusiastically then bringing them up to his lips to blow hot air on them, rubbing them for warmth.

There was an adrenaline rush in her and she was smiling insanely as she never had. The atmosphere was something Lily hadn't ever experienced. To have been in midst of such a large celebration of people coming together to view and cheer for the same thing, to a new year, to a new beginning.

"EIGHT!"

"Here!" Lily yelled over the crowd and extended her gloved hands to take his. He tore his eyes away from the ticking clock to look at her quizzically.

"SEVEN!"

"What?" James asked loudly as Sirius began 'whooping' and hesitantly looked to her hands.

"SIX!"

"Give me your hands!" and without further permission she chuckled taking James' hands into her own. She rubbed them and daringly brought them up to the height her own lips and blew her hot on them.

"FIVE!"

James looked stunned and she could feel the stiffness in his hands to her bold actions. She looked up and held his gaze once more, a small smile still playing on her lips. Her shyness was overshadowed by the commotion around her and this growing feeling in her gut she was pretty sure was aided by the Firewhiskey.

"FOUR!"

"Four." She murmured into his hands and he was eyeing her for anything, a sign, an answer, a hint to any reason she was being so forward with him, but he let the faintest of smile creep his lips.

"THREE!"

"Three." He murmured back his eyes dancing across her face from her bright red cheeks to the tip of her pink nose.

"TWO!"

Something was brewing among them, something unexplainable—but that was okay to them because with every small giggle shared and the hot breath that would graze his fingers James didn't mind it being unknown and Lily hadn't minded the mystery because in that moment the feeling of being confused felt right.

"ONE!"

"One." She whispered her breath flickering over his thumb one last moment.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

**12:00 AM 1978**

Then in a flash, a great chime from Big Ben, a loud chorus of cheer, and a flamboyant _BANG!_—Lily's lips had grazed the soft surface of James'. Their eyes fluttered closed, drowning out the figures and shapes and only seeing bright flashes of colors underneath their eyelids, a warm sensation engulfing them as James' mouth hurriedly nudged lips apart after a moment of surprise. And there is was: a bigger bang, a louder noise, a deeper rumbling chime than any firework, crowd, or monument could ever manage to make.

James' abandoned hands reached up to the sides of Lily's face and in that moment Lily's eyes lazily lifted and it registered with more passion—James Potter was kissing her, she was kissing James Potter, they were kissing.

She saw bright flashes of fireworks shine behind James briefly before closing her eyes and giving back fully into the kiss, falling back into the deep trance James Potter only knew how to. If it was staring at his lopsided smile, his steadfast expression, or distant figure down the Hogwarts corridors, Lily was entranced. So deeply she had been lured into his graces, no matter how much her outsides might have kicked and screamed her insides were screaming for different—for this. For his lips to keep doing what they were doing, for his breath to keep tickling her cheek, for the sweet smell of his to overwhelm her sense (no matter the faint trace of Firewhiskey that lingered on his smooth rolling tongue).

Big Ben finished its twelve chimes (now loudly resounding the tune of Auld Lange Syne) and Lily pulled away much to James' mouth's protests. Her eyes fluttered open searching his calm face, his eyes also fluttered open and she was sure her eyes were just as glazed as his.

Then his smile appeared, her favorite smile if she ever had one, on his face and Lily followed suit.

Continuous bangs and flashes of lights that illuminated their faces: blue, white, pink, gold blanketed the skies. Lily turned her head slightly and felt her eyes widen at the sight. Large fiery balls adorned the outline of the Big Ben; fireworks rocketed out of the tower and from behind. The people were still cheering in amazement and when James turned to his side he was guffawed heartedly at the sight of Peter and the blonde.

Lily saw Remus catch her eye and smile knowingly as he tried to calm Sirius down from jumping around as he began to pour Firewhiskey on his shoes.

Lily looked back to James who smiled back at her; she threw her arms around him and tiptoed. James raised his eyebrows with a large foolish smile and accepted Lily's eager peck as she gestured to look at the fireworks.

That night as James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, and Peter (with much effort to tear him away from his New Year's kiss) roamed through the streets of London, empty Firewhiskey bottle dangling from Sirius' loose grip—singing Auld Lange Syne at the top of their lungs, some fellow drunken spirited people joining them for mere moments, and Lily and James taking turns to press the other against a random building to delve into fervent kisses that lead to mess of laughter and giggles.

There was no doubt that to any passerby in London that night that the couple was celebrating more than just to a New Year, there was something shared among the two of them from the way the linked hands to the way they looked at the other—a sense of finality, a breath of relief.


End file.
